NASA Official Prediction Page http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/ NASA Press Release http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/29may_noaaprediction.htm ---Quote-- "If our prediction is correct, Solar Cycle 24 will have a peak sunspot number of 90, the lowest of any cycle since 1928 when Solar Cycle 16 peaked at 78," says panel chairman Doug Biesecker of the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center." "Even a below-average cycle is capable of producing severe space weather," points out Biesecker. "The great geomagnetic storm of 1859, for instance, occurred during a solar cycle of about the same size we’re predicting for 2013." The 1859 storm--known as the "Carrington Event" after astronomer Richard Carrington who witnessed the instigating solar flare--electrified transmission cables, set fires in telegraph offices, and produced Northern Lights so bright that people could read newspapers by their red and green glow. A recent report by the National Academy of Sciences found that if a similar storm occurred today, it could cause $1 to 2 trillion in damages to society's high-tech infrastructure and require four to ten years for complete recovery. For comparison, Hurricane Katrina caused "only" $80 to 125 billion in damage. ---------- Wikipedia on the 1859 Carrington Event http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859 Also a good read on the Carrington Event The Sun Kings (2007) http://www.stuartclark.com/sunkings.html Clear Skies - Kurt